


my eyes have always followed you around the room

by yellingatbabylon



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: And then this happened, Fluff, M/M, New Year's Eve, a lil bit of idiot side malum bc necessary, britpop induced writing is the new quar stage i have arrived at apparently, i listened to if i had a gun... on repeat far too many times and had a glass of wine, if you squint lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26262814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellingatbabylon/pseuds/yellingatbabylon
Summary: The entire building is practically shaking from the volume of the music but all he can hear is Luke’s laugh. Ashton hasn’t touched a drink all night yet he still feels drunk off of the way Luke’s everything clouds up his mind.
Relationships: Luke Hemmings/Ashton Irwin
Comments: 4
Kudos: 46





	my eyes have always followed you around the room

**Author's Note:**

> don't have much to say. listened to if i had a gun on repeat an ungodly number of times while staring at some clouds, opened a doc, and here we are.
> 
> guess helen is partly to thank for this then since i 100% would not be like casually listening to oasis without her. would also just like to take a quick lil moment to thank the club for keeping within the realm of sane this past month or so. so incredibly grateful to spend my free time chatting with such brilliantly talented buds. my heart feels so fully every night after getting to spend some time over there.
> 
> ok, enjoy <3

Ashton’s house is filled to the brim with people and glitter and bubbly drinks and all he can do is watch the way Luke squeezes his eyes shut, a bright smile on his face when posing for a picture. All he can do is watch the way the tall blonde tucks his messy hair behind his ear only to have the curls fall back into his face, his efforts entirely fruitless. The entire building is practically shaking from the volume of the music but all he can hear is Luke’s laugh. Ashton hasn’t touched a drink all night yet he still feels drunk off of the way Luke’s  _ everything _ clouds up his mind.

The way he felt wasn’t entirely new though Luke’s knowing about how he felt still was. Ashton knowing about how Luke felt was as well. He smiles as he recalls on Calum’s exasperation at how long it took them to get the words out and Michael’s cluelessness to the entire situation. As he blinks across the room at Luke now, behind his lids all he can see are their blushed cheeks and soft words shared in between the brushing of lips through the rest of the afternoon once Ashton had kicked the other two out of his house just a month or so prior. The delicacy of new love was something Ashton found himself still clinging to any moment they got alone. 

And as he stares across the room now, silently willing Luke to turn in his direction so he can make some cliched head nod to suggest sharing a quick moment alone as a break from his hosting duties, Ashton finds himself wondering if it’s too soon to be feeling like this. They haven’t said the word yet but Ashton knows it’s love. He’s felt so sure of his feelings for the glittery boy across the room for so long there’s not a single doubt in his mind about it. But he knows that Luke is slower to work through his feelings, always working to be more precise in how he cares for people, never wanting to give a wrong impression. It makes sense, Ashton knows, given the way their younger years in the spotlight shaped Luke. 

But as he lets his eyes follow Luke’s path around his living room, his hazel irises tethered to his movements, Ashton suddenly feels himself  _ needing  _ to tell Luke. Ashton has always prided himself on his level-headedness, on the way the rest of the band can turn their pleading eyes to him regardless of the setting to speak on their behalf when at a loss. He hates how he can’t even keep a record of the number of times he’s had to stand up for his boys when they were still just trying to find their footing in the world they all live in. Over the years it had provided him a sense of maturity, the ability to hold his tongue. So it's quite alarming to him now that he can’t stop his feet from advancing out of the kitchen toward Luke and lifting an arm to rest against the bottom of his back to get his attention.

He feels Luke jump against his hand before turning to see it was only Ashton and then relaxing into the touch. Ashton smiles at the woman Luke had been speaking with, apologizing and throwing out some halfway excuse about “band business” before guiding him out of the room and down the hall to his bedroom, the sound of the party drifting off behind them. As he turns to face Luke, Ashton giggles quietly at the glitter that falls from his hair and shoulders. His house is going to be a sparkly nightmare in the morning.

“Ash, what’s going on? Are you okay?” Luke hurriedly asks as Ashton walks them into his room, shutting the door behind them and leaving the light off, the room illuminated just barely by the light coming in from the crack between the bathroom door and the floor.

Ashton smiles somewhat dazedly up at his vaguely confused look as he leans his back against the door, his hands lifting to find Luke’s as his eyes adjust to the low light, the anxious electricity running through his veins calming just enough when he feels their palms press together. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he says as he shakes his hair out, his bottom lip tucked between his teeth as he makes sure to control himself long enough to choose his words with at least somewhat of his normal care. “I just needed a second with just you.”

Luke hums a happy noise in response, his hands dropping from Ashton’s to wrap around his waist, pulling the two boys to stand close enough that Ashton is sure Luke can feel the heat radiating off his blushing cheeks. “That’s fair, I’ve missed you tonight,” Luke sighs as he rocks them back and forth some, Ashton’s hands moving to rest against Luke’s chest. “Though you’ve been staring at me the whole night.”

Ashton notes the sarcasm in the statement but stutters through his words regardless. “I mean, I just. There’s no one else in the room I’d rather be looking at, honestly.”

His thoughts swim as he tries to piece together how to say what he  _ needs _ to say when he feels a forehead knock gently against his own, Luke’s nose brushing against his. Ashton can feel the smile on Luke’s lips as he brushes them against Ashton’s before he speaks again. “You dragged me back here to tell me you like looking at me? We’re pretty transparent, Ash. Think you probably could have shouted that across the living room and no one would have said a thing.”

“I think I love you,” Ashton says in a rush into the limited space between their lips. “But it’s okay if you aren’t there yet. It’s okay if you’re never there. Just needed you to know. And didn’t want to tell you in the middle of everything out there.”

It’s not until he feels a hand press against his cheek that Ashton realizes he’s had his eyes closed as he says the words. He flutters them open to meet the muted blue tone that Luke’s own have taken on in the dark light. “You know I only noticed you looking at me because I was looking at you too, right?”

A confused look drops to Ashton’s features and he’s moments away from letting them shift to something more like disappointment when Luke continues. “I love you. And yeah, I know it’s a little early for it. But we’re human, we don’t always run like clockwork. No matter how hard you try to, old man.”

And for once, Ashton is speechless, only a short laugh escaping his lips at the name Luke’s called him. He doesn’t want to just not respond though so he lets a hand lift from Luke’s chest and press into the hair at the back of his neck to pull their lips together for a second longer than a moment. When they pull away from one another, their foreheads stay touching, soft smiles on both their lips as they hold one another. Ashton leans against Luke’s palm further as he runs his thumb across the top of his cheek.

Luke lets his lips press to the tip of Ashton’s nose before letting out a quiet laugh. “We should probably get out there before midnight. Michael might end up popping champagne again and we don’t want to have to replace anymore windows this year.”

Ashton laughs as he leans his head against the door, his eyes rolling toward the ceiling. “If Calum could just control him for one night…” 

“That’s asking quite a bit of both of them now, come on.”

Ashton shakes his head as he lifts their now intertwined hands to his lips as he turns to lead them back out into the glitter and lights. “Stay with me tonight? Wanna be close to you once it’s quiet again.”

Luke smiles and squeezes their palms together as they wander back out toward the chaos. “Only if I get my kiss at midnight.”

Ashton laughs, his head now shaking more in disbelief that they’ve finally made it  _ here _ than anything else. “Wouldn’t want to start the new year any other way.”

And as they arrive back into the middle of it all, Ashton still finds himself slightly nervous at the confession despite the mutual nature of their words. They were so brief and all Ashton wants to do is talk to Luke about this for days on end, for the rest of forever really. But it’s almost as though Luke can hear his racing thoughts as he drops his hand in favor of pulling Ashton into his side as they approach where Michael and Calum stand out near the back door. And as Luke lets his head fall to rest against Ashton’s, his thumb rubbing little circles against Ashton’s hip while he dives into conversation with Calum, Ashton starts to realize that maybe the rest of forever gets to start right now.


End file.
